The Mackerras/Telarc Mikado (1992)

Cast The Mikado Donald Adams Nanki-Poo Anthony Rolfe Johnson Ko-Ko Richard Suart Pooh-Bah Richard Van Allan Pish-Tush Nicholas Folwell Yum-Yum Marie McLaughlin Pitti-Sing Anne Howells Peep-Bo Janice Watson Katisha Felicity Palmer Orchestra & Chorus of the Welsh National Opera Conductor: Sir Charles Mackerras

Telarc CD-80284

Unlike Sargent, Mackerras does anchor his cast with two bona-fide G&S comedians, Donald Adams (who makes his third Mikado recording here) and Richard Suart. The Mackerras recordings have a spirit and life to them that the Sargent recordings never quite reached.

The recording is issued on a CD running 79'10", which is the upper extent of its technical limit. To make this possible, the overture, the second verse of the list song, and the second verse of "The threatened cloud" in the Act I finale, are omitted. (The Mikado overture is generally held in low regard, and Sullivan did not write it himself anyway.) Purists may bristle at this, but the price is right. This is the only Mikado nearly complete on one CD (aside from some cut-down historical re-issues).